Holiday tradition, with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore
'Twas the night before Christmas, the NHL in repose
A brief but welcome respite, from races oh so close
Balance is what the league holds dear, it has now become a fact
Yet teams with top shelf talent still sit above the pack
Jersey's boys remain sublime, watching Marty set more marks
While Patty, Joe and Dany boy do their thing, giving bite to the Sharks
'Hawks' Kane and captain Johnny have taken Chi-town by storm
As Ovie's Capitals gang keeps lighting lamps, no biggie that's their norm
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| Feeling the spirit, Dany Heatley? (Getty Images) |
No reason to think, then, they can't bring Stanley back
In the mix though are others, with things in common, too
It's amazing when you think of it, what great goalies alone can do
The Sabres live on Miller time, while Calgary's Kipper does his thing
Marian's been a hit on Broadway, but the Rangers, they're about their King
Barry Trotz is a real good coach, yet Music City's man is named Rinne
The reason Colorado sits first out West? Easy, Anderson's play
The Avs have been a real surprise, Phoenix maybe more
Atlanta's come together too, yet Kovalchuk eyes the door
Toronto's getting better, Florida too since Ballard swung his stick
And in La-la land there is a script, says Anze with Smitty do the trick
Can't say enough about Oil man Penner, or Richards in big D
And a freshman group with Tavares and Hedman, it's been quite the sight to see
Yet all's not well around the league, as empty seats make clear
Even in places like Ottawa, where AK-27 has gone to disappear
Boston has been uneven, when it was supposed to go to town
Just not as bad as Philly, where the headline is "Flyers down"
Things are tough in Buckeye land, thanks to Mason's sophomore slump
Same thing in St. Louis, where a couple of goals is called an offensive bump
Most troubling though for everyone, injured lists that always grow
Montreal, Vancouver and especially Detroit, boy they really know
The Red Wings though are holding up, in spite of so much pain
And Minnesota's bell keeps getting rung, but winning keeps it sane
Still head shots are an issue yet again, one that everyone eschews
That's why in this grand Olympic year, its destined to become old news
The problem still needs fixing though, cause players cross the line
Won't stop until the league is clear, and boys that's just not right
In the meantime though we'll just marvel, at the competition all around
Most teams are on the bubble, no breathing room to be found
Comebacks now are common, there's always much to cheer
So enjoy the rest of the season, but first have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
